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Honda reveal traffic-jam cutting technology

Honda has revealed the successful development of what is claimed to be the world’s first technology to detect the potential for traffic congestion.

The technology, pioneering in conjunction with the Research Centre for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, will also determine whether the driving pattern of the vehicle is likely to create traffic jams.

It follows research that recognises the acceleration and deceleration behaviour of one vehicle influences the traffic pattern of trailing vehicles and can trigger congestion.

Test results demonstrated the system helped increase the average speed by approximately 23% and improved trailing vehicles fuel efficiency by approximately 8%.

Honda intends to bring this technology to market, and will begin the first public-road testing in Italy and Indonesia in May and July of this year.

Based on determinations about the driving style, the system provides the driver with appropriate information, including a colour-coded display through the dashboard to encourage smooth driving, which will hopefully alleviate the intensity of acceleration and deceleration of trailing vehicles.

Honda also suggest the positive effect on minimising congestion and fuel efficiency could be further increased by connecting the on-board information to cloud servers to make the driver aware of, and in sync with, the driving patterns of vehicles ahead by activating the Adaptive Cruise Control function.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .